Cerulean
by Mochimoshi1234
Summary: It's not hard being alone. Honestly, I liked it since there're no obstacles in reaching a lucrative life. But of course, he had to barge in, with his alluring cerulean eyes and irksome prods. I think he broke my "immortal" shell. But I don't want to come out of it-It's too painful. The world revolving around friendship is cruel and I'm an amateur, so stop coaxing me, Len. Please.
1. Blue

**Chapter 1: Blue**

* * *

When a person asks you, "What is the color of the sky," you usually answer with, "blue." However, when someone asks you, "What shade of blue?" There is usually never a certain reply, nor is there a right answer to that question.

"Light blue."

"Periwinkle."

"Navy."

"Sapphire."

These are all both correct and incorrect.

"Azure."

"Cobalt."

"Indigo."

"Robin's egg blue."

So are these answers.

One normally will take one or two glances at the sky for reference, and might alter his or her response as the day goes by. The morning may be a soft pale blue as the afternoon could be the stronger, darker shade navy. I, however stick to one answer, day or night, dawn or dusk. If a pedestrian off the street decided to approach me with the seemingly obvious question of, "What color is the sky," I would always respond with, "Cerulean," along with shooting that person a look of bewilderment as to why he or she would ask me that.

Do they not have the brain to look up for even just a split second rather than wasting my time with such a simple question? All the citizens around here have places to go and maybe even a tight schedule to follow, so why bother _me _out of all people and ask me a question that even they, themselves, probably have answered one or two times in their entire life? Maybe he or she even thought that doing so was a waste of time as well, so why inconvenience others with the same question that interrupted his or her run to the coffee shop down the street?

If this did not occur to them, then what had occupied their mind to an extent that they did not think of others first? Was it the fact that he or she asked me at sunset this question, the expected answer supposedly along the lines of, "A beautiful mixture with shades of pinks, oranges, yellows and purples," and yet I still replied, "Cerulean"? Well that's your fault. The only reason I do this was because the color not only reminded me of my own eye color, but _yours._

When we were in our preteens, you would not only ask me this question constantly, but would prod with an annoying, "Why?" As in, "Why in the world, on a stormy day, would you call those grey clouds _cerulean_?"

Whenever you would say that to me, I'd bring in the technicalities of science and respond with something along the lines of, "_Technically, _the sky is every color _but _blue due to all the light waves being absorbed _except _blue. _Plus, _the clouds aren't part of the sky, so it isn't grey."

You, being the type that would not pay much attention to the academic category of science in the third year of middle school, could not understand half of what I was saying and would always prod for the real reason. Being the young _tsundere _I was, I'd never tell you my true intention and would end the conversation with "go away," or "you're such a bother."

Later realizing the cruel meaning of my words would hit deeper than I'd think, I'd make a promise to apologize the next day. Irritatingly so, by the time I would muster up enough courage to approach you during your club activities, the cycle would repeat, and as we graduated middle school I could confidently rush up and explain in detail that I was more enraged with myself rather than your constant interruptions in my fast-paced life.

However, it was a stupid mistake for me to think that because we attended the same schools since the elementary grades with no stupid disturbances like trees crashing into our homes, you'd apply for the same high school as me. Three years passed without my mind occupied trying to find explicit and complicated ways to explain why the sky is blue on a regular basis, and I watched as my scores surpassed the small margin that led me to get perfect grades. I maintained that score and more than just my colleagues acknowledged my great academic skill and yet I ignored their copious amounts of praise and focused more on the good and great colleges.

I never attended clubs since I find that as fun as they are, I have more beneficial things to do like study for mock exams and more importantly, real exams and tests. Nevertheless, I was occupied my committees and extracurricular activities like the sports festival, which went smoother than I thought. Since then, I've had my share of friendly and not so friendly acquaintances as well as drama that, honestly, was not even mine. Many of my announced "friends" had been astonished when I told them I was still a virgin in kissing, and they even tried to hook me up with another associate. He, who was too much of a stranger to me that the moment the subject came up along with idea of stealing my lip's purity, my mind had immediately rejected it.

Now preparing to become freshman in college, I'm involved in many non-school related activities and is even arranging for a part-time job in a café as a waitress. My height increased greatly while my figure became more pleasing to the eye and was complete with soft, feminine curves and breasts now fashionably small. To be specific, I was a B cup compared to the double A chest I sported in middle school. Even if people considered me as a "busy" student, I'd take time to exercise often on short, yet highly active jogs around the town and unlike the stereotypical college student; I only snack on instant ramen at regular and steady intervals. Twice a month at most is the best option than having none.

After weeks with a schedule that was so consistent that it grew into more of a habit rather than a schedule, the soft pink petals of the favored cherry tree commenced to blossom. The vast number of trees sprouted buds deliberately bloomed, the small petals dusting the tops of roofs and scattering across the roads and people began to watch the trees a bit early that year. My agenda adjusted with not just the social media involving the Hanami festival, but the school notified me that I was to be ready by the next week, yet with my consistent plans, I skipped out on finding supplies. Though it seemed that not only I had forgotten, but also the crowds suspended on the crosswalks of Japan grew busy with students, and more people began to emerge from their homes, causing a few unpopular stores to begin forming lines outside the shop. I, too, went from a calm trot around town to flailing around in panic looking for specific books and walking around the streets looking for sales on ingredients for some of my favorite treats to place into my bento.

The market was not as stuffy as I had imagined, however it was more crowded than what' I'd have liked. Shuffling along the refrigerated herbs and moist vegetables, I browsed among the bustling people while carefully placing items into the plastic basket I held at my side, afraid that the commotion around me would cause the fragile foods to spill and break. Tucking a blonde lock behind my ear, I began to examine the crate of apples carefully inspecting then just so there's be absolutely no bruises. Satisfied, I'd strut to the roll of plastic bags taking a firm hold of the top, unraveling the thin, transparent bags, and quickly tearing the end from the cylinder. The dotted lines that ensured a clean separation stretched for a swift second and shortly made a noisy rip that the other busy citizens in the market easily ignored.

While finding the opening for the bag, I gazed around, finding a few more greens I enjoyed to consume, and decided to buy a couple. A few minutes later and alongside the apples were three fuzzy and most importantly, unscathed peaches. I began to think about my dinner, first realizing that it should be a quick, easy dish. The first thing that came to my mind was a hot pot. Sukiyaki seemed nice, so why not give it a go? It'd be quick, easy, and simple enough that I could buy all the ingredients at the market. It was the seemingly perfect dish for these days where I need to make something speedily.

I sped up my pace, searching aisle after aisle for the specific ingredients and managed to get a majority of them before the sun went down. Seeing my filled basket full of not just the factors for the dish I intended to make but a handful of colorful fruits, one would think that I'd be heading towards the registers to buy them all at a relatively low price. However, now inspecting my bin for any forgotten ingredients I realized that I forgot to toss in the leeks. I quickly bounded back to the mounds of raw goods, the market now tastefully free of disruptions alongside peaceful shopping. There was an occasional tear and fluff of the plastic bags and the rattle of metal carts but nothing hoarse enough to unnerve the average person. Walking up to the crate of damp leeks, I ran into an old friend of mine. Naturally, I was not surprised to find her in this specific place.

At one point in middle school, my teal-haired companion had accumulated an obsession with leeks, and as I thought, she never grew tired of the taste. Old habits die hard, and spending great amounts of my spare time with her, I know that this saying is quite accurate especially with this young lady.

We stood there at the base of the crate of leeks and began to reminisce about middle school. After sharing a few high school stories, both of us seemed to have the same question in mind: For what college did you apply? Neither of us was in any way astonished that we were attending the same university as we seemingly lived in a relatively same area in Tokyo. At most, our houses were only a ten-minute drive apart, not counting any signs of traffic. When we were a bit younger our homes were about a short five-minute walk away, that is, until during a terrible storm did away with the upper level of her house thus, causing her to move. Now that we're practically adults, we moved away from our small houses and into roomier apartments. However, this did not seize my attention; it was what she had explained to me next that made me lean slightly towards her to distinguish and ensure that the words she was saying were correct.

"Len's coming."

To my surprise, I froze, not knowing whether to be jumping around in excitement or thrashing around in fury. Instead, I stood there; unmoving, facial features twitching yet locked into forming a blank look. Forcing myself to groan a nonchalant, "Oh," I grasped a large, slender leek and placed into another plastic bag. Thanking my good friend for a nice chat and ending our conversation with a, "I hope to see you again soon," I turned towards the registers and went on my merry way.

* * *

My apartment was not far from the market or the university; it actually seemed like the people of Tokyo deliberately placed the building there specifically for college students who needed this handicap of easy access. This made life much easier for people like me, and strolling down the sidewalk, I realized so. Thank you, people of Tokyo. Walking up the stairs of the apartments, I checked the plastic tablets indicating the floors. Third… Fourth…Fifth…Sixth. After hiking towards the sixth floor, I skipped off the stairs creaking dangerously and quietly walked past the first of the rooms. Dodging the small dip in the flooring and fortunately finding the door to my room closed, I took my time to unlock the door, mumbling a small, "I'm home," out of habit given that my small apartment was normally empty.

I took out the bought goods and organized the objects in a few minutes leaving me with enough spare time to watch television while cooking. As the foul scent of leeks spilled and wafted in the kitchen, the nostalgic smell brought my wandering mind towards the auspicious conversation I had with my old classmate. Her ill-timed words forced me to think of you and how you had those annoying jabs that easily pierced my thick unsocial barrier. You were the reason why I grew to become a bit more of an extrovert, and you were the reason why I grew to love the color, "Cerulean."

I shut down the stove while plating a small amount the sukiyaki into a small bowl, leaving the rest in the large pot, and left for the couch to eat. Taking the TV remote, I aimlessly scrolled through the channels as I ate, each casting a different shadow among the pale white walls. Nothing was entertaining enough to stop at, so I gave up, finding that simple enjoyment from consumption was far more exquisite and interesting than a cluster of dramatic reality shows. By the time I was refined from eating, the clock seem to tell me that it was very close to midnight and so, with nothing else to do besides more work, I decided to sleep early.

Sleep was a peaceful occasion, yet nowadays dreams had absolutely no significance. Deep, dark swirls occupied my mind when I slept, splashes of color came sparingly yet no actual images came to mind. However, with words striking the iron deep inside my heart, my dream was more like the dialogue of a past wish rather than a vivid dream.

* * *

"Rin? What is it? Are you all right? You look a little red…"

"…"

"C'mon, I'm taking you to the nurse."

"…No."

"Huh? Rin, are you sure? You don't look so well…"

"I'm fine. It's just that…I'm…"

"Hm? Oh yeah, hey Rin, what's the color of the sky?"

"…"

"Hey! I asked you a question!"

"Cerulean."

"Hm? But today the clouds are covering the sky, so it's be grey, right?"

"Cerulean."

"And why?"

"…"

"Why?"

"Because…"

"…?"

"Your eyes…they're really pretty. The color cerulean…reminds me of you..."

"…"

"Len…I like you."

If only things were that perfect.

* * *

_A/N Well. This is OBVIOUSLY NOT A ONE-SHOT. XD I had a one-shot up and ready then I got minecraft and had to delete a few things to make it lag a bit less and long story short, I deleted it. Yeah. Smooth, right? Anyways, I was gonna make this for a different reason but that problem already solved! So yay! This will be one of the FIRST fanfic I'm posting and probably gonna leave here and not delete. Thank you for reading and enjoy the rest of the story~!_

_P.S. I _know _that the "science technicalities" are wrong. I did that on purpose thank you very much. ^^ _


	2. Sea Green

**Chapter 2: Sea Green**

* * *

Waking up from that unusual dream was a little unnerving.

The beep of my alarm was deafening, so much that I was tempted to chuck it out the window and possibly onto the roof of a moving car. Of course, I did not, especially when the people owning the car would probably fine me for a large amount since I'd be at the base of many car accidents, which in reality _my flying alarm _had caused_. _Unfortunately, I knew that a tedious amount of people would rather blame me than the annoying alarm; however, I understood their reasonable judgment.

Therefore, I didn't fling the noisy clock out the window after a few strikes to the crown, which not only caused my hand to ache but also it seemed that the volume of the alarm increased, although I did hurl it to the floor. After the clock had plummeted to the carpet, the earsplitting crack the alarm had made stunned me into thinking that I'd have to buy a new device. Still, as this repetitive scene occurred, another sense of déjà vu calmly washed over me like the soft lapping of waves, reminding me that I should be used to this situation already.

I sighed, overturning in the sheer silk sheets and silently observed the quiet activity outside in the urban city from behind erect blinds. Peaceful silence soothed my ears after that startling burst of noise; I tried to savor the bliss of it all, but knowing that the infuriating blare had rattled me awake it was hard to appreciate stillness of the moment with ringing ears. Without a moment of serenity to start my day, I glumly forced myself to crawl out of bed, hissing and groaning as the light that poured through the apertures of the blinds seared my narrowing eyes.

I stumbled across the tiny living room; my sight obscured with large blue and green patches, and immediately slammed my leg against the small coffee table. Grunting in pain and clutching my bruised shin, I began to take my time in advancing towards the kitchen, pausing for a small second to rethink whether walking into a cramped area with sharp objects and scorching surfaces along with temporarily impaired eyesight was really a smart idea. Instead, I waited until the dark blotches in my prospect faded and walked into the kitchen with ease. However, the pain in my lower left leg wasn't even close to dissipating, causing some minor limping and maybe even a fair bruise.

I took a long glance at the metal pot filled with the leftovers of yesterday's meal, and decided that it will not become my breakfast for the day. Instead, it shall be my dinner. After setting my dinner plans, I craved for something light and quick yet filling for breakfast. The result for thinking so, miso soup was to be the entrée I'd prepare to start the day off on a lighter note. The icy clang of metal against metal echoed in the kitchen as I replaced the occupied cauldron on the stove with a smaller pot. Clear liquid splashed against the sides of the cooking vessel as it was set down onto the warmed surface.

With a loud _zip_ and a _click_, I turned the stove dial to the highest setting and left the kitchen. With a simple press of a button, the TV was on as I commenced to sit on the darkened couch. Out of tendency, I stretched out my arms over the couch and roughly crossed my legs as the commercial break ended. Not that I really cared, as watching one celebrity bashing about another was somewhat entertaining, yet not amusing enough, and with that final thought I switched channels without a twitch of the brow.

I continued to browse the networks, again watching the incandescent glow of the TV cast different colors against the dark coffee table. However, it wasn't long until the roar of bubbles reached my recovering ears. I sighed, and forced myself off the snug couch and strode over to the kitchen, brusquely shaking a packet of instant miso and tearing the paper packet open. The gentle singe of the steam against my palm blossomed while I poured the chalky contents of the instant dish into the water with a soft slither. Tapping off the excess clumps that accumulated because of the steam, I watched in keen silence as the boiling liquid easily consumed the rust-colored powder and soon transformed into a dusty brown color, which later clotted into a light cloud in the center of the pot. Green flecks of dehydrated onions quietly floated to the top until a forceful air bubble shoved the small speckles back to the bottom, as the darker strips of seaweed peeked and disappeared through the dissolved cloud of miso.

I tucked a stray piece of flaxen hair back behind my ear while turning the dial to the OFF selection and poured my warm breakfast into a shallow bowl. Because there was no dining room to eat at, I simply sat on the leather couch at base of the TV, cautiously placing a marbled coaster to shield the dark cherry wood table from any dull marks.

The TV blared continuously while I commenced to sip at the warm soup, the screen presenting me with another attempt to capture my interest, and again, I abolished the effort by pressing the small rubber button. The monitor then showed a simple cooking show, and being a little annoyed by all the wild content the other shows displayed, I quite enjoyed the fact that one part of the television network was still sane—at least in my eyes. The cheery woman on the allegedly calm cooking show, however, had appeared a little too optimistic to be authentic. It was a quite an unfortunate situation and I was honestly disappointed that the actions of the young woman wasn't genuine. I personally thought that it would've made the cooking show a lot more delightful.

With a sigh, I leveled the remote with the screen of the electronic before me that had grown rather annoying during the many times I had made an effort to indulge in a bit of modern technology, and with a press of a button, the TV shut off. No matter, I was finished with my miso anyways. After cleaning up the remains of my breakfast, I trod into the bathroom and took a quick look at my appearance, and smirked.

I was not the exemplar of beauty nor was I in any way, a model. My occupation was currently as a waiter for a small, unpopular café because I simply needed a bit more money to not only pay for my school tuition, but to satisfy my wants and needs. Despite that, people told me countless times that my face resembled a porcelain doll, and my pale skin, fair hair, and wide, glassy eyes encouraged heaps of flattery regardless of age. I'd reflect on the situation where one would call me a doll, and I'd consider it as a compliment concerning the fact that western dolls were the image of beauty and perfection. Because of this, I have maintained this inspirited, doe-eyed look for years. It really did flatter the young, and because my features were more child-like and youthful, it worked out faultlessly.

Patting at my slightly flushed face after a pleasantly tepid shower, I repeatedly splashed my face with cold water and resumed drying the tightened skin with light taps. Staring back at myself from the dull, steam-covered mirror, I found that my appearance satisfied me and continued with my conventional make-up routine, finishing it with a light dusting of gold on my eyelids after a few swipes of dark mascara to crimped lashes.

By the time I finished my morning routine as a whole, the previous hushed morning of the city became the afternoon ruckus complete with thunderous cars and panicking students shoving around the municipal crosswalks and markets. Although I was quite used to going outside during these disastrous conditions, the number of civilians swarming the road have increased, making it a little tough to walk around without losing composure.

I stared out the large ceiling-to-floor window at the end of my apartment, my face contorting into an expression equivalent to distain as I observed the great amount of social activity taking place. As I was never a social butterfly to begin with, large crowds in addition to clusters of smaller groups aggravated me. Unfortunately, in all the years I've been living in Tokyo, never have I seen the city deprived of such things. Nevertheless, I snatched a stylish blue parka off the gnarled hooks along with my disheveled leather purse, mumbled a quick, "I'm leaving," And rushed out the door to relieve myself of boredom for the day.

* * *

The transparent glow of the sun cast against the stones of the tall buildings and reflected as scattered speckles off the electronic billboards of Tokyo, and the large windows of the skyscrapers. Seeing the city radiate with such soft light made me forget the distasteful commotion in the streets and gape in awe at the beauty of the large, industrial city. Never has the famous Eastern Capital failed to strike my heart in such a way, and even as the years passed, the magnificence in no way had died down. It was why walking around in this conurbation was always a pleasure.

As I happened to cross through the intersection alongside the large energetic mass of people, my purse inaugurated into a series of loud vibrations with bursts of high-pitched music and had startled not just I, but the natives closest to me. It had taken me quite some time to reach the crying electronic, as I couldn't recall where I had last placed it and it wasn't long before a few citizens had directed a few looks of annoyance towards me. Brushing those small insults off with a phone clutched in hand, I began to check any unread messages and to my surprise, the provider of the text was a middle-school companion, Hatsune Miku, the girl who I also came across the day before.

Pleasing warmth somehow emanated within my body as I read her cheerful text with a soft smile. It was only a simple, "Hi, how are you?" However, to me its significance was much more than a mere four words. I replied quickly with, "I'm doing great, thanks for asking. So what's up?" In addition, I refused to toss my golden cell back into my purse to save face. As expected, an almost immediate reply rang back and I was pleasantly surprised when reading the contents.

"Do you want to do something today?"

Those words rang loud, the merry resonance, however, reaching my ears only a bit after as my head and heart seemed to have been soaring elsewhere. The warmth in my chest grew tight until I felt like butterflies had entered my stomach. If I spoke any words aloud, they'd flutter out of my mouth and into the vast city, thus, I tightly sealed my mouth shut with a wide grin. Fortunately, I didn't have any scheduled plans for the day besides aimlessly strolling around while attempting to find a nice shop to eat, which is why I typed back, "That'd be great! How about we set off out to lunch, then we can go shopping?"

With a shrill, my phone blared for only a moment before I had eagerly thrust my thumb to press the, "View Now," button in anticipation of Miku's reply, which was no doubt high in spirits. After agreeing on the meeting vicinity, it being the popular Shibuya intersection, I exhaled a content sigh, lifting my shoulders in happiness as I walked, motivated by the upcoming event. Although we had met the day before, we only briefly mused over our foolish actions when we were younger and it was quite the shame to have left on a sour tone. My lips curved into a bitter smile when remembering that I had interrupted Miku on such a short notice. Maybe today was a day where I can atone for that incident.

The longer I walked towards the famous junction the streets gradually condensed with people. Citizens as well as a large handful of foreigners popped in and out of the streets from all directions, causing any factions or cliques to merge into one whole group of social activity. To be honest, it was as if someone went and decided to fill my brain with an active hive of buzzing bees. The volume of the meek conversations grew to a point that could make anyone believe that reaching a single second of silence was bleak. I held in the urge to run back into my cozy, private apartment as I shoved my way through the sidewalks and rushed to get across before the light turned red, only thinking in anticipation about the excitement I'd feel throughout the day. Provoked by my wandering thoughts, I then began to walk with a small hop in my step rather than the steady pace I casually abandoned, quickening rhythm and elongating my strides to enable a faster arrival.

Because of my impatience, I entered the Shibuya area fifteen minutes after I had left the University district, five minutes early from the scheduled gathering time. I bit my lip in disgust as I stood awkwardly at the edge of the walkway, watching as young teenage girls and boys made their way from store to store, giggling and joking around with each other as if it were normal. An indignant smirk twisted on my lips as unpleasant memories from my teen years evoked. It wasn't the happiest time of my life, bearing in mind that my best friends left for another place leaving me to grovel in the dust for more. Of course, I didn't even attempt to replace my loyal companions, as they were truly one of a kind. This made my high school life more the sadistic, in the least dramatic way possible.

Before I could begin to remember about the past, the dainty taps of an index finger poked at my shoulder and interrupted my train of thought. As instinct overcame me, I withdrew and turned to face the stranger who caught my attention, and with a gasp of surprise, the cool feeling of relief prevented my cry of alarm to reach the ears of justice.

The young woman raised a manicured hand with a flutter of fingers, the sea-green three-dimensional nail art waving around as if boasting to others of its perfection. "Ah, Rin-chan. Great day it is to go shopping, no?"

* * *

_A/N A~nd let's end this chapter here! I'm sorry that this was more of a setting introduction and I did mean to have Rin and Miku mess around in this chapter but it grew a bit too long for my tastes, and I cut it where Rin (finally) finds Miku. Thanks for reading and please look out for the next chapter! I'll try to post these every week but I've been beginning to draw more and etc., etc. so please bear with me. ^^;_


	3. Exposed

**Chapter 3: Exposed**

* * *

Even when the afternoon heat replaced the morning chill, the thunderous commotion in Tokyo never died down, and to add on to the loud clank of heels on concrete, the prattle of the bustling civilians continued to grow in volume. However, Miku and I walked in comfortable silence, both knowing that the atmosphere wasn't awkward at all and conserved the main conversation for later. I sighed, grasping the handle of my leather satchel while taking careful glances at my middle-school comrade, trying to see the changes that developed since junior high. Her alterations in her figure were similar to my own, gaining defined curves and growing so much height wise that she's a couple of centimeters above me compared to the past, where both of us were close to the same height. Her posture was as perfect as ever, while the air around her was still friendly. Like usual, Miku's facial features were never less than a gentle smile.

As we strolled along the cramped pathway, the teal-haired beauty beside me walked with a steady rhythm, her chic wedges clinking softly as we walked. I smiled. 'If only other people could learn how to walk like that,' I'd thought while effortlessly silencing my steps and matching her pace.

The neon lights of the electronic boards reflected off Miku's turquoise eyes as she stared at me with an expression filled with amusement. Curious, I asked, "Is there something wrong?"

Her pleased grin grew until it reversed the curve under her eyes. "It's just that over the five years I missed you, your sense of style never changed." She nodded at my monochrome attire, with the exception of the bright blue parka. "Monochrome with a splash of color, it suits all, but you always seemed to pull of the chic teen clothes like your striped tights and oversized sweaters while I have to resort to the adult fashion treads." She said while tugging at her multicolored floral dress, which in my opinion suited the change of season much more than my basic color scheme.

I smiled, accepting the complements knowing that rejecting them would only lead to more. However, I couldn't help but return the favor. "Ah, but Miku-san, your sense of style overshadows mine. The purple of your cardigan and shoes has a refreshing contrast with your hair and eyes. I bet you others noticed as well, since over the past few minutes there have been many glances directed at you. They're all awestruck with how pretty you are. " I said revealing an obvious point. It was not a lie, many people took a few good looks at Miku while we were walking, and I knew she realized it as well, since whenever she would catch someone's eye she'd flash a beautiful bright smile and continued to walk by as if it was normal.

She chuckled at my comments, holding up a loose fist to her lips to soften the gesture. "Didn't I tell you to just call me 'Miku'?" Miku corrected me, not surprised that I still made that mistake. "Ah, so you saw? Hm, it's true; I can never walk the streets of Tokyo without getting a few glances. Nevertheless, I believe that today those glances are directed to both of us. Look." Miku said slyly nodding her head to the area behind me.

Childishly exhaling a puff of warm air with a pout, I followed her instructions and took a quick glance over my shoulder. My eyes met with crystal grey orbs, the owner of those gorgeous eyes was a muscular man with long hair that surprisingly matched the bright purple of Miku's cardigan. I caught my breath, knowing that the right words to describe this man was not, "handsome," or even how some teen girls would say, "hot." No, his appearance matched neither of those words, and I tried to find a few words to describe him with the best of my ability. He was, "strikingly beautiful," with a face that could've been seen in the days of samurai.

"Our eyes met, my breath being forced out of me the longer I stared at the strange, yet stunning man who was leaning against the base of the Hachiko statue. His clear blue eyes felt like it was staring right through me, and I felt slightly uncomfortable under his gaze yet I couldn't help but stare back, mouth agape. It was at that moment when I knew I had fell in love—"

Whipping back around to the mischievous young woman next to me, I spoke sharply, my face slightly flushed with embarrassment. "What's with that strange commentary?"

Miku laughed as her palms flashed with a shrug of surrender. "What? I'm just speaking what I had thought when seeing your reaction." Lowering her arms, she spoke with a soft voice, "You did look stunned Rin. It would've given everyone the impression of my, I'll admit, _silly_ commentary but I just wanted to bring you back down to Earth." She smiled, calmly turning around and to sustained to walking. "Now come on, this restaurant is _great. _It's one of my favorites actually."

With a crooked grin, I followed the cheery teal-haired example of brilliance, taking a moment to shoulder my disheveled purse and with that second, I took another glance at the man, finding him brusquely talking into a gleaming phone as his sharp eyes shot obvious glances at me. I had to agree with Miku about his eyes; his gaze did feel like they saw straight through me. Squirming a bit at the uncomfortable feeling of being exposed, I continued to walk up the warm sidewalk in pursuit of Miku, and more importantly, away from that strange man.

* * *

It didn't take long until we had arrived that the special restaurant that had gained Miku's favor, and as we entered the building through the elaborate dark doors, I began to regret wearing such an attire that didn't seem to match the air of sophistication at all. I took a glance at Miku and watched while she acted terribly comfortable in her own casual clothing, which made me feel especially out of place. Seeing me uneasy and quieter than usual, Miku turned towards me and flashed a reassuring smile that relieved me of my worries, however it was only momentary, and she went back to talking to the polite hostess at the counter. I silently observed as Miku informally chatted with the woman, occasionally calling the pink-haired woman by her first name, "Momo," making me realize the explanation to why this was one of Miku's favorite eating places throughout Tokyo.

Glimpsing around the room, the tense feeling located around my chest area relaxed a bit when I noticed that none of the employees in the building had given me at least one strange look. This place was a lot friendlier than perceived, especially when first observing the furniture, finding the colors in the area a common modern color scheme of dark browns, blacks and deep reds. The dimmed lights and clusters of scattered candles set the mood to a classier feel and placed on each of the tables were beautiful lotus flowers floating in a petite bowl of water as a small, yet elegant centerpiece. It was natural to get edgy in such a refined place like this, and knowing that, the waiters here seem to ease the customers with simple chitchat and gentle smiles. In no time, I felt comfortable by just studying how the restaurant worked.

"Rin, a table is open for us." Miku's soft voice called out, preventing any disturbance of the other consumers by lowering her tone. "Let's go; I'm starving."

Turning my gaze from the dark clothed tables to the stunning Miku, I smiled. "Ah, yes, I am too." I replied, matching Miku's quiet voice simply by talking as I normally did.

Another grinning waiter escorted us to a table alongside a wall; Weak light emitted from the small lamp sitting above on a shelf, it's dim orange glow causing true colors in the restaurant look burnt. The small amount of light, however, was enough to cause the chopsticks to sparkle against the murky reds of the cloth napkins. When the escort courteously tugged at the dark wooded chairs, I silently nodded my thanks and accepted the offer of consideration by sitting on the soft leather cushion. Unraveling the warm towel I wiped my hands and prepared myself to eat, taking to notice that small angelfish swimming in a square cup replaced the floral centerpiece atop the other tables. I stared in awe at the beauty of the fish, wondering if the two sea creatures were in any way comfortable within the narrow vase.

I sighed, my breath catching against the centerpiece and fogged the glass, obscuring and blurring the fishes' graceful figures. "I wonder if they feed them…" I mumbled softly, surprised that Miku had taken notice of my hushed murmuring.

"Huh? Rin, what are you talking about? Of course they're gonna feed us, I doubt they'll let us starve." She said staring at me with an expression filled with humor, with brows rising wondering if I went mad in the past few minutes.

Given the situation and considering the mature atmosphere, I couldn't help but giggle. "I meant the fish. If they didn't feed us at such an elegant place, that'd be terrible."

"Ah, yes, it certainly would be," Said a young man; his reverberating voice seemed to have come from behind me.

I was astonished that someone, especially one older than me, managed to sneak near without my knowledge, and with a calm façade plastered on my face to conceal the shock, I twisted around to get a glimpse of this young man's appearance.

When I managed to see his attractive features, the waiter greeted me with a flirtatious wink alongside a bright smile. "Excuse me for interrupting, but we do feed the fish," He chortled, vaguely stating that he had eavesdropped from the start of the fish-related conversation. "However, you ladies seem hungry, and since it's my duty to satisfy your hunger needs, I came as soon as possible." The man ran a hand through his strikingly gold hair while moving towards the unusually silent Miku, and when turning to face her, it seemed that the effortless action of simply staring at the man with a pleased grin had occupied the rest of her movements. He gave her a courteous bow and looked at her with shining sapphire eyes. "Ah, Hatsune-chan welcome back. It's a pleasure to serve you again, and I'm honored to be your waiter for the afternoon. Please, take care of me." The last polite plead of affection was not directed to only Miku but to the flustered me as well.

Miku elegantly supported her chin with the back of her hand as her elbow rested against the cloth, her half-lidded gaze locked on the friendly waiter. A soft smile grew on her face while she spoke, "Nice to see you too Sora-kun, I didn't think that you worked during lunch hours." Miku pushed a fallen lock of teal hair over her shoulder.

The young waiter straightened quickly and kindly smirked, smoothing his ruffled flannel shirt. "Yes well, I don't usually work around this time but one of my accomplices called in absent and asked me to replace her for today."

Miku brightened, lifting her head off her wrist and lowering her pale arm to rest on the edge of the table. "Ah, was it Utane-chan? I know she works during this time; however, she seems to be absent."

"Oh, so you knew? Well—"

Letting them continue their small conversation, I began to occupy myself by fiddling with the dark chopsticks, noticing that the small cursive letters carved into the sticks spelled the name of the restaurant: _Kasane_, the family name of the owner. Teto Kasane, the so-called, "crazy bread lover who's famous for giving her staff inspirational speeches in the middle of work," owned the eatery but these were only rumors courtesy of the media. In reality, I have no information about her besides having she odd pink pigtails in the shape of large spirals along with an ahoge. There were also a few rumors that she was an immortal with the looks of a sixteen-year old girl rather than the slightly aged features of thirty years, but of course I never believed it. I sighed, playing around with my chopsticks as the waiter, Sora as Miku called him, poured freshly brewed green tea into our red clay cups.

"And you, lovely lady, what's your name?" He said making direct eye contact to me, a stranger, and seemed to be quite comfortable throwing charming complements at me although my name was unknown.

I swallowed a small forming lump in my throat and took a quick glance at Miku, who nodded at me in encouragement, mentally urging me to introduce myself. Turning back to Sora, I locked eyes with him and spoke with a slightly trembling voice, "Kagamine Rin. What is yours?" I forced myself to act as casual as possible, yet I knew that I failed the moment I looked into his clear blue eyes.

"Kagamine, what a beautiful family name. Is it all right if I call you –chan? You look like a –chan rather than a –san." Sora questioned me, the usual harsh pressure that questions follow was absent as he slightly tilted his head, bright blond strands of hair falling into his eyes. When I nodded, confirming that, "—chan," was a fine honorific, he continued. "I'm Suiga Sora, nice to be of acquaintance. Aside from that, what would you fine ladies like today?"

I was quite surprised that he didn't give us any form of menus or any information about food until Miku had spoken. "Well, when it comes to Japanese food, our tastes are very similar—"

"Despite your leek obsession?" Sora asked with a raised brow.

Miku sighed gazing at his grin with an amused expression. "Yes, despite that. Anyways, give us my favorites and if we have any concerns, we'll be sure to inform you first."

Sora snorted, beaming at both of us with great appeal. "Hm, it seems that you've been here so many times that you memorized my mental script. Well yes, please, go ahead do so, and I hope to see Kagamine-chan again soon."

As he left the table, Miku faced me and smiled optimistically whilst clapping her hands together. "I'm glad that worked out well. Knowing you, I thought you were going to stay silent for a while. Now, tell me about high school. I want to know more about that 'kissing incident.'"

* * *

**Ahoge-Japanese visual cue for cowlicks.**

_A/N Well wasn't this a fast update? Little happened again, and it'll be going a bit slow for a while but I have plans for more to happen during the later chapters! I actually planned this to be in the second chapter and the to-be third chapter was going to be in this but my limit is under 3000 words since that makes writing chapters a lot easier! Also, in between updates I do go back and edit my chapters to find and fix minor grammar, spelling or anything wrong. During that time I do add a few things...Haha I really need to organize myself. :3 I guess I want to get these out since I'll be going on a trip with my family and I don't think I'll update. Anyways, thanks for reading again, and feel free to review!_


	4. That's Why

**Chapter 4: That's Why…**

* * *

"Eh? They tried to hook you up with an unknown man?" Miku asked, pausing for a moment to finish wiping her mouth after eating a slice of well-cooked chicken katsu that was practically oozing with sauce. "My goodness! Rin, if I knew that I would've high-tailed it to your high-school regardless of my location!" The teal-haired beauty exclaimed her face skeptical, wondering if she should believe or deny the information I gave her of my high school past.

I chuckled, figuring that, yes, regardless of her location Miku would probably beg, if not drive the car herself despite being less than the legal age, for her parents to drive her to me if put in that case. "Yes, I know. That's why you're one of my best friends."

Satisfied with herself, Miku crossed her arms in triumph. "Very good answer, Rin," Her arm unfolded out of the crossed position and pointed at the ceiling, her teal eyes looking in the same direction with her head tilted opposing the arm. Seeing it all in action, Miku seemed to have remembered something. "Oh? Do you remember his name?"

I blinked, avoiding her gaze as if it was a wild fire. Her eyes left burning heat as she analyzed my change in attitude, no doubt finding something weird and not bothering to mask her expression of confusion when realizing it. Ten seconds and I debated whether to tell her about my previous situation of why I didn't kiss that man, the reason not only that he was a stranger. No, there was another reason, and I did not think Miku would understand. Straightening up, I refused to tell her. "Erm, well, he was a stranger, and I don't really remember any of the details."

After a long pause complete with narrowed eyes, Miku sighed dejectedly as Sora arrived to refill our teacups. "Would you ladies like anything else for the afternoon?" He said smoothly, oblivious to the uneasy atmosphere surrounding the table.

The smile on Miku's face returned yet seemed a little forced but nonetheless grateful. "Ah, Sora-kun I think I'll take the bill now, thank you." Her eyes flickered towards me, "It'll be on me."

I began to protest yet formed no words. It was useless to object Hatsune Miku when she's set on something, or at least announced it. I guess I can be happy that she informed me beforehand.

The bill arrived rather quickly despite the large mass of waiters bounding around and dodging the other so serve the last of the lunch rush. Miku paid for the lunch with a ten-thousand yen bill and was even generous enough to tell them to keep the change. It also seemed that Sora had figured out the extent of Miku's stubbornness, and left, bemused, with the crumpled bill in his hands. I stared at Miku in bewilderment. "When did you get all that money?"

Tossing a pigtail over her shoulder, Miku shot a sweet smile towards my direction while quickening her pace arriving outside the doors and into the blazing sun. "Oh, just work, you know?" She said with a cute ring that struck me as ominous. It appears as if she was saying, "If you want to keep secrets, then I'll do so as well."

* * *

It took us about fifteen minutes walking from _Kasane _to the Shibuya shopping district. Miku's wedges swapped out multiple times for attractive flats of the same hue to prevent any scarring blisters. I was amazed at how prepared she was, but shook off the feeling when arriving at the intersection. "So, where shall we go?"

Miku thought for a bit, pressing a thin finger at her pigmented lips as a gesture of deep thought. "Well, I do want to try out a few clothes…Ah! Let's go to Koen Dori, I want to get some of the trendy clothes there."

Since I had no complaints, I walked silently alongside Miku towards the large shopping district and neglected to realize the high level of stuffiness around that area. The air was sticky with humidity, even though the towering buildings casted overwhelming shadows, little did it cool anyone down. People fidgeted and squirmed, slowly inching their ways towards the large buildings that, no doubt, had the chilling properties of air conditioning. Miku and I quickly walked towards the doors and entered the white painted store with no problems, that is, until a young high school student walked over, her face occupied with a large smile, leveling her eyes towards Miku's who loomed over the smaller girl.

"A-Are you Hatsune Miku?" She asked, her feet pushing her up and down, causing her loose lavender pigtails to bob with the motion. I could tell she was quite excited to see Miku, and wondered if she was an acquaintance of hers.

Miku stopped in her tracks as the girl had blocked us from continuing, and surprisingly, Miku gave the girl a beautiful smile. "Yes, I'm Hatsune Miku. Would you like anything?"

The purple-haired girl proceeded to move up and down until her shakes intensified, transforming into small, energized hops. "Ah! Really? May I have an autograph?" She said, rummaging her purse for what I thought would be a pen and paper.

Now, here I am with the most confused expression on my face. If this girl were an associate of Miku, why would she want her signature? Taking action, I left a light hand on Miku's shoulder, gently preventing her from moving forward. I carefully whispered into her ear, "Do you know this girl?"

Shrugging my hand off, Miku advanced with a, "Huh? No," And placed a hand behind the small phone case, where I was astonished to see my predictions so off, and signed in smooth, flowing strokes her name with a deep purple Sharpie.

The younger girl stooped down as a thank you and rushed back to her cluster friends, delighted that she got a signature as Miku waved with a flutter of fingers, and resumed to strolling into the building as if giving out her autograph was normal. I followed suit after a moment to process the simple and casual actions of Miku, and soon the reason to why she was so relaxed. Rushing forward to, again, block Miku's path a bit I asked, "Miku, where do you work?"

She sighed and began messing around with a lock of bright turquoise, obviously trying to find ways to escape the interrogation yet must've came up with nothing and decided to answer my question honestly. "I…" She bit her lip, "I'll tell you after I try on some clothes, is that all right?"

Not having anything else to say, I nodded after a brief pause, walking through the open wall of one of the more expensive shops in the area that Miku had decided to enter. If she could afford something from this luxurious store, then something must be different. I watched with a composed expression as Miku plucked out a few unsurprisingly fashionable articles of clothing and rushed towards the changing rooms at the far corner of the shopping area. I tagged along behind her, slowly making my way to the area that was the most uncomfortable to me. The pale sign read, "Lingerie/Underwear," in bold navy letters hanging above me as I stood, discomfited, aimlessly walking around the section.

My awkward stare developed into an intense glare as I gawked at how immodest the simple design of underwear had become. Holding up a few of the selections from the basket of lingerie, I silently retched as one of the options of clothing, if it could even be called clothing as it rarely covered much of anything, I had so gingerly pinched out was merely a cluster of colorful strings. Miku, who caught a glimpse of my slow demise after leaving the changing rooms, calmly lifted a brow at my reaction and took a glance at the underwear I came across.

She perked up, "Oh? Rin, I didn't know you were into those types of things too."

Instantaneously, I rejected her observation, stuttering about how I simply came across the basket and decided to browse when I stopped myself from going any further. As Miku casually brushed her hair over her shoulders, I spotted a black lace strap behind her purple cardigan and pursed my lips, refusing to say anymore about the crude examples of underwear the store obtained, worried that I might offend her. "Erm, never mind…" I mumbled, looking away for a moment. "Uh, anyways you said you were going to tell me something."

Miku sighed, a small puff of air blown through the nose while she shouldered her teal satchel. "Yes well…I'm a model."

With those words, Miku began to explain that during the time we were apart, another friend of hers couldn't make a photo shoot for a cover of a magazine who was quite famous, and had given Miku a call, asking to replace her. Miku, who was very close by had arrived at the shooting building with minutes to spare, which was enough time hence attempting persuasion so the crew could allow her to model unofficially. However, due to her looks and natural ability to pose and smile, the photo shoot concluded faster than anticipated, and because of this, a job to work as a model was free for Miku to take. She did, although keeping school in mind; she had apparently convinced her manager to free her schedule for important classes and due to her immense amount of charm, the manger became generous and freed slightly more time than desired. During the school vacations and excluding holidays, she'd work during her free time to gain some extra money, knowing that travelling would make expenses worse and declined any offers including travel. Over the years, Miku obtained great amounts of cash going to the company's own required payments as well as her own wallet, and now since modeling was no less than a chore to her, she enjoyed doing it. Today's just a day to spend some of the accumulated cash during one of her non-vacation related day offs. What would be better than having a relaxing chat with her best friend?

For a while, I wondered why she was hiding that information from me, but shrugged it off, chiding myself since getting Miku to explain her situation was enough. Smiling, I swooped closer to give her a brief hug before turning back to the shopping mall. "Thanks for telling me, Miku." I said purposely removing the honorific.

She sent a dazzling grin back, and strutted out of the store with me after placing the clothes back on their specific racks. We began to move to a different store when Miku grabbed my hand causing me to halt in my tracks. Her eyes low and lidded while her voice soft, she mumbled, "So when are you going to tell me about that high school classmate you can't get out of your head?"

* * *

Taking the sidewalk in long strides, Miku and I exited the building with heaps of bags and found ourselves back at the statue of the loyal dog, Hachiko. The bright sun was beginning to reach under the horizon, painting the sky with streaks of yellow and orange and the balmy temperature began to drop. I stopped, placing the thick paper holding the articles of stylish clothing, previously bought at the cheaper yet trendy stores, gently onto the floor and raised my arms in a large yawn, slightly surprised to hear one of the many loud conversations around the area.

"What? You said she was here!" The higher-pitched voice of a male whined behind me.

A deeper, calmer voice scolded the other male, "Yeah, well, if you got here earlier you probably would've seen her."

Loud stomping echoed against the stones and disturbed a good amount of people in the Shibuya district. "Agh! You know I can't get here fast enough!"

I jumped, hearing another male speak, his voice more in between the other two. If those were deep and high, this man was middle-toned. "Ah, but what I really wanted to see was Hatsune Miku."

"Huh?" My middle-school friend yelped, quickly covering her mouth with a _yip! _The three young men probably turned towards Miku after hearing the strange noise she had made, which was a tad more disturbing than the three men were. Because of their lack of conversation, I twisted back to see behind, arms still raised in the middle of a stretch, the appearance of the group of guys causing me to mentally spit take.

"Oh."

* * *

_A/N Haha finally gettin' somewhere! Anyways, I wanted to point out that _Kasane _IS NOT REAL (But Koen Dori is). It's a play on a maid café except with Utaus…haha…*sweat drop* Also! I've never been to Japan, I want to, but I haven't. Yet. What I'm trying to say is that the store locations might not be the _best _or the most _accurate, _but hey, I'm trying my best here. ^^ Thanks for reading, and please, feel free to review!_

_AAAA: Because you're a Guest I wasn't able to reply properly, but anyways thank you! I'm glad you like the story! And yes, I did draw the cover photo myself._


	5. Coincidence

**Chapter 5: Coincidence**

* * *

"Eh?"

It was an odd coincidence to have met these three people here. Two of whom I had been previously acquainted with, even if one of them was only for a brief moment. I was stunned to find them at such a popular place, yet unsurprised, as the young man I was acquainted with was quite the chatty type. We held our stares for some time until Miku managed to regain her composure quicker than the rest, lightly coughing into her fist amid a sharp cock of the hip. With a gentle, welcoming smile, she had softly greeted the men, causing the one stranger, who was completely unknown at least in my case, to blush a sweet shade of pink. The contrast of his dark blue hair with his cherry complexion was immense, and the man's hand moved to cover a large area of his face, in addition to the insipid cobalt muffler that obscured the lower half of his flustered expression. His accomplices snickered and smirked at the sturdy blue male until Miku pursed her lips and stared at the two men with eyes as hard as steel. I've never seen Miku like this before, and as terrifying as it is, I was quite excited to see such a different, intense side of her. I felt as if I could take her a bit more seriously.

"Well, Rin. I see it's getting a bit late, don't you think? Maybe you can stay at my house for tonight. It's not far from here." Miku offered, completely and utterly ignoring the others.

The man in blue frowned, hesitating for a moment, his furrowed eyebrows the only visible facial feature. His perplexed face could possibly have meant that he was pondering whether it was all right for his self-importance to be hurt for the mere accusation of eavesdropping in two women's conversation. Over a short interval of deep thought, he must've decided to throw away his masculine pride for a minute, speaking in a clear, slightly wavering voice, "Erm, Hatsune-san…Isn't Megurine-san occupying your couch already?"

Before I could intervene and fulfill his tactless nightmare by destroying his pride, the quick jolt of Miku's head caused me to jerk towards her with an alarmed face. Relieved to see her unharmed or unhurt, I swallowed down a lump of worry, taken aback at her mystified face. Miku's small fist was clenched tightly at her lips, which was a thin line forming a tightened pout. It resembled the face of anxiety the blue clothed man had previously. "You're right…" She said dejectedly. "I must apologize, Rin. I guess I can't take you to my apartment. I'm sorry."

I raised an amused brow when Miku had bowed, taking a swift moment to reassure her that my situation was secured with plans for me to just walk back to my own apartment room before turning back towards the three men, strictly looking at the taller men, and trying to ignore the shorter male. The tallest of the three, who was known as the stunning purple samurai I had seen earlier today, smirked, his eyes glinting sharply as he placed a large hand onto the others' shoulder. "Hey now, let's not be rude to the ladies." He said, his deep voice reverberating loudly. "I'm Kamui Gakupo. It's an honor to meet the infamous model, Hatsune Miku and her companion, Kagamine Rin, is it?" Gakupo moved towards me, his taller, muscular body towering over my own smaller figure. His chin jutted out in a confident manner, yet seemed a bit intimidating seeing the massive difference in our builds.

I tensed at the sound of my full name and ignored the somewhat daunting body language, however not as astounded as I should've been. There is no surprise when I expected him to know my name at the least. I tried to avoid eye contact with the other young man, but I couldn't help but glance at him when Gakupo had spoken my name. His eyes stared back, the clear cerulean orbs swirling with a mix of emotions. After a moment of eye contact, I turned back towards the newly acquainted Gakupo and nodded, speaking with a soft voice, "Yes, you're correct. Nice to meet you."

The blue-haired male who was supposedly familiar with Miku began to converse after his cohort began, introducing himself as Shion Kaito. He nodded towards the shorter blond beside him and flashed a bold smile, "He has said a lot of good things about you, and I think I can agree with him." I could feel Miku's stare of expectance burning into the side of my head while I processed his sentence.

I disregarded Kaito's flirtatious attempts and Miku's anticipating look while sending another sharp glimpse towards the last fidgeting male who Kaito had mentioned. However, despite my harsh glance I was quietly happy about how he would mention me in conversations with his friends and an added bonus when most of them are possibly compliments. I then bowed to Kaito after mumbling a, "Please take care of me," And continued to wait for the last introduction to conclude.

"Erm, should I even…?" The boy mumbled his feet shifting against the stone. I stared at him in wonder, as this behavior was, in this case, rare. I remembered the days where there was no shyness in his gaze, only a fiery sting as he mercilessly attacked with his charisma. There was no menace in Miku's or my own composed presence, and the two other men seemed too polite to be intimidating. I presented him with a look of confusion with a simple twitch of a few facial muscles and gave his violet-haired companion a face filled with uncertainty and silently begged for any hidden explanation.

Gakupo responded with an amused smirk, placing a large hand on the blond-haired boy's crown and ruffling the messy strands. "Now go on, it's respectful." The sight seemed to resemble a fatherly figure coaxing a naughty son to apologize. His head lowered in embarrassment while Gakupo stared him down with merciless eyes, practically forcing him to speak with a mere gaze.

"Fine." He sighed, submitting to Gakupo's insensitive look. With a small jerk of his hands, the male posed in a confident matter, displaying and confirming that the spunk he had in the past had never disappeared. "As you girls know, my name is Kagamine Len! Once again, nice to meet you!" He said dragging out the 'you' for a tad too long.

Nevertheless, I grinned, proud that he managed to keep his uncontrollable liveliness over the years. The bold image in my head, however, crumbled when Len began sheepishly rubbing his nape. His discomfited eyes began to wander over the scenery, skimming over my stature and moving to an inanimate object in the background. "Erm, Rin-chan…" Len murmured. "You…you live over there, right?" His thin arm reached out south, pointing in the direction where my previous house was located and gawked at my face in bewilderment when he caught me chuckle.

I understood that he was trying to offer to bring me to my home as close as it was, however since I had moved away from our past playground, I lived further from the Shibuya area despite still being in Tokyo. "Since high school ended, I moved away and towards the southeast. Did you know that, Len-kun?" I spoke, a slight challenge hidden beneath the soft tenor.

Unexpectedly so, Len flinched, mumbling faltering stutters as his hand moved towards the back of his skull and began messing with his stubby ponytail. "Well," He stopped, dropping his hand with a dull thud. Len's wild grin was absolute. "That's perfect! I live close by, so why don't I drive you over there? It'll be fun—just like old times, right?"

A small pocket of air made its way down my esophagus as a rigid gulp when hearing his words. The roles swapped, him being the uneasy one now the challenger. In this unfortunate case, I was the troubled. "Now don't get ahead of yourself Len," At my ankles was the soft tap of Miku's violet flat, prodding me to discontinue. "I'm a fully developed woman; I should be able to walk home alone during the evening times."

Len snickered, "Ha. I can tell you're developed." I stood in vexation as he teased me, not doubting that my face had reddened a bit. "But that's not the point—better safe than sorry, yes? Then I'd rather you be with me than getting kidnapped in the streets." Before I was able to interject, he persisted, "Still, why are you even arguing? Is it not enough to talk to your childhood friend—heck, two of them?"

I bit my lip at that point. My mind rejected the fact that it was better to be cautious and go with Len, and due to my secured distance between men, it was more of my feminine pride just forcing me to speak. "However—"

"Well Rin," Kaito interrupted hooking an arm around Len's shoulders as he humorously smirked with mischievous eyes. "If you didn't know Len—"

"_Jesus_ you're gonna tell her _that?_ But it's just—" Kaito's pale sleeve muffled Len's panicked wail, and despite his attempts to prevent acuity, Miku and I were able to distinguish the stifled words.

"Something Len doesn't like to talk about much. Rin, be warned, Len is one who steals young women's purity!" Kaito exclaimed, drastically stretching out his free hand to emphasize his statement.

My bothered expression returned with more feelings of anxiousness, and if close to me, one could probably notice the tense feeling in the surrounding air. I sent a glare towards the struggling Len, besieged in not only Kaito's grip, but my harsh stare as well. "Len is this…is this true?" I whispered, slightly pained regardless of my lighthearted yet hurt demeanor.

Pulling himself out of Kaito's grip, Len waved his arms around in reassurance as he stammered nonsense that I recognized was a mess of unperceivable and fumbled words. He managed to restrain his momentum with deep breaths after quietly moving away from the group with his palm to his forehead. Even in the faint lighting, anyone could tell that Len was blushing, and it made me more irritated to see him flustered rather than his normal cheeky self during his previous challenges. After a grunt of unhappiness, he turned back, now facing only the displeasure filled face of Miku, and the extremely annoyed me. However, just staring at Len made me realize that not only was he a different man, but he had grown during his high school years to an extent where he began to pay heed towards other people's reactions and emotions.

Len lifted his head revealing his reddened face. "Uh, well, it's not like it's like _that. _Erm, stealing purity, in this case, is equal to theft of first kisses…"

Hearing those words lifted a weight off my shoulders and I was quite happy to be reassured that Len wasn't doing _that, _and after standing in the packed streets for a few moments, I decided that it was alright for Len to take me home despite having an unknown personality or, if I may say, motive. Prior to a couple of chuckles, I replied with a pleased voice, "That's alright. I'll go with you."

Len froze, every muscle in his body freezing excluding his facial features, which shifted into a cheerful face with a smile so bright one can consider it already daytime when first laying eyes on it. "Really? Sweet, I'll go get the car."

As Len ran off to retrieve his vehicle, the rest of the group began in idle chat, conversing about the latest trends and popular social media. It didn't take long until Len returned with his car parked, a short distance away the current location, and both of us left with brief farewells. The time spent walking to his car was rather awkward, and even more so on the road. Before long, Len and I arrived at my apartment without a peep and I proceeded to walk away, silent.

A sudden tug at my sleeve caused me to stop, and looking back, I saw Len with a hesitant face, his arm behind his back holding something vivid that kept popped in and out of my view. With a twisted grin, I asked, "Yes?"

Len released what I heard was a mortified grunt as he fully revealed the item in his hidden arm. Hanging limp in his palm was a large silk cloth; its pure white color appeared bright in the faint-lighted dusk. I stared at the square of fabric, confused by this gesture of generosity since I didn't need a cloth. Before I had the need to ask, Len began to explain to me his reasoning after clearing his throat. "Miku and I planned to give you things before middle school ended so you can remember us, but I never really got to giving this to you…Uh, did Miku give you your handkerchief to go with the ribbon?" Taking a quick second to see my head nod in agreement, Len continued, "Well did she explain to you why we gave you white things—oh wait, never mind. I see by your expression that you don't know. Figures, Miku was never a very good explainer anyways—um, to cut a long story short, we thought of you as—well—innocent, pure, clean and any other synonyms like that. So white was a great color to represent _you _even though your favorite color is orange and…ah…"

He trailed off after a ramble of explanations that, honestly, made me a bit more confused than before. Regardless of my puzzlement, I gave him a jovial smile and accepted the ribbon, taking a moment to dig into my purse for the matching handkerchief and thanked Len for the ride.

After a few nods of satisfaction, Len waved a sweet goodbye and slowly rode his car out of the driveway. My hand swayed as a small parting sign and quickly hopped up the stairs while replaying the whole day in my mind. It wasn't as boring as I planned it to be, and my schedule for the day was to stay home and do nothing. I met new people, which is always good especially for the slightly antisocial me, and reminisced a bit with some friends. It was an interesting day, if not unusual.

During the time I ate a small portion of the hotpot leftovers, realization hit me like a speeding truck causing the stock of the sukiyaki to spill on my monochrome tights. Roughly patting a napkin over the stain, I grew aware of the significant detail I missed before. The apartment building was only about twenty minutes, give or take, from Shibuya walking. If I could walk from here to the crossroads in only twenty minutes, then if Len was telling the truth about his house's location being near mine, he wouldn't need a car since it'd take about the same time. Then _why?_

"_Agh! You know I can't get here fast enough!"_

By now, I ignored my half-filled bowl of dinner. Len was too kind. _Is _too kind. I can't repay him when he did the deed as a lie; I wasn't even supposed to figure this out. _So how am I going to…?_

* * *

_Cerulean_

* * *

"I'm home." I called out to the house, smirking sadly after hearing my voice echo through the empty halls.

I scratched at my ruffled blond lump of locks and forcefully yanked my small ponytail out of my hair, making my way through the Japanese-styled house whose blueprints still baffled me. The only way I actually memorized was the path to my room, which wasn't much but a small bed in the heart of wide space. The cushioned blanket softened the harsh contact with the floor as I lay on my stomach, checking my unread messages while unexpectedly being dragged into sleep and waking up all the same. With a surprised raise of an eyebrow, I read the most recent text with interest.

"Dude, you didn't have to do that." Said a disregarded text Kaito sent before, given that he sent it to me during the ride with Rin.

I smirked drowsily as my mind slipped, again, into slumber until I stopped myself, as I haven't finished my nighttime routine. I slowly sent a memo saying, "Eh. I'm fine. Tired, but I'll live I guess. I mean, so what if Rin lives an hour away from my house? I'll do it again anytime."

Giving the text a few minutes to send and Kaito less time to reply the ring of the phone was enough to rattle me awake.

As the words flashed on the screen, I could almost feel the worry in Kaito's words. "But Len, seriously you _need _rest. You remember the last time you didn't sleep?"

"Oh don't even remind me, sucked for me too, you know—but fine, fine _Mom _I'll sleep. Night." I replied with a snort filled with laugher.

I forced myself to finish my evening customs successfully and after finishing I practically fell into my bed with a loud and painful _thump._ The sting dissipated fairly quickly and my lids grew heavy at the same speed.I smiled, thinking of Rin's cute smile when accepting my heartfelt present while I fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

* * *

_A/N Oh I'm sooooo sorry for the late update! You see, I came back from the trip early because school started the day after, so I didn't really have time to write, but I finally got this chapter finished! If you didn't realize, but the last section was Len's point of view, and I think I might just stick with only that one as Len's since this _is _supposed to be just Rin's POV. Again, thanks for the support, follows and reviews and please do so in the future!_

_Note: Also, I noticed that when I try to make the part where Rin's POV transfers to Len's as a double line won't let me do that. I _really _don't like using words as a cut-off but in this case I couldn't avoid it or it'll be even more confusing. Thanks for understanding._


	6. Unexpectedly

**Chapter 6: Unexpectedly **

* * *

It seemed that the next day, the alarm was even more deafening than before.

To be completely blunt, I hate every aspect of it. The simple, consistent beep was annoying; the increased volume after each interval irked me; it was a merciless electronic with no heart; it would constantly save me from tardiness at times when I'd rather sleep in. Love-hate relationships with both living _and _non-living things are quite unfortunate, aren't they?

I groggily pushed my limp body off the pillows and moaned seeing as it was so early the sun hasn't even begun to rise. Without the inspirational image of an ascending sun, I continued, with a defeated atmosphere, to swing my lower body over the side of the mattress and lifted myself off the bed; trying to balance my body weight on the two pale sticks I'd call my legs. The remaining warmth of the plush blankets brief as my skin and clothing made contact with the cold air causing a small shiver to trail down my spine.

The alarm still kept up its annoying ring until I took the bulky gadget by its cord and swung it onto the bed, only muffling the jingle yet giving my eardrums a rest and I happily took advantage. Before the machine could sneakily vibrate its way out of the cocoon of tousled blankets, I lightly tapped the dismiss button, smirking in triumph when the chimes ceased and strode towards the bathroom, keeping the bed ruffled and messy with the alarm roughly buried in the center.

Maintaining my quick and simple routine, striking much emphasis on quick, I lightly buffed a pale pressed powder from my temples to the bridge of my nose and so forth to conceal the tiny imperfections, barely visible on my face. The pearl compact closed with a snap, the sound of rustling leather resounding in the bathroom when I tossed it into the bag at my side, the same bag I had taken with me the day before.

A white flash caught my eye, and after a few moments of digging into my purse, I cradled a soft white cloth in my hands, its size decreased into a thick folded square, the creases among the fabric sharp and crisp. It was as if Len had bought it yesterday rather than four years ago. Staring at the small square in my palm, I realize that its significance was greater than anything I considered important—besides school. Peeking behind Len's farewell gift was the handkerchief Miku had given me, the presents that both Len and Miku were supposed to have bestowed onto me as a sign of remembrance, yet their lack of foresight prevented me from receiving the two, and left me with one, lacking to inform me of the background of it all.

Fortunately, Len was able to notify the oblivious me about their former plans, and I appreciate the attempt. To boast about their achievement, I unfolded the cloth and tied the ribbon not on my head, but at my neck as a type of scarf since a ribbon required a headband that I currently didn't have. To match, I slipped on a white flannel shirt over a muted undershirt, cleanly folding the cuffs to around my elbows for a more chic look, and pairing it with a black pleated skirt to follow my colorless fashion standards. After popping a few colorful yet subtle additions to my makeup, I took my golden bangs by the tips and tucked them behind my ear, carefully shoving white hair clips to secure them in place.

I checked the hazy reflection constantly, making sure that my outer appearance met not only my standards, but my career's principles as well. Earlier, a breath I unintentionally held met the outdoor oxygen as I released a sigh of relief when reading the regulations for clothing, which included my normal way of dressing. Of course, it should be nothing too revealing as it leaned more to the professional and sophisticated side, despite the majority of my wardrobe being oversized sweaters and tights, both decorated in one way or another. Today just seemed to be one of those days where you _have _to wear certain attire to please your colleagues, even though I didn't really care of their wandering thoughts.

Quickly arriving at the base of the doors, I grabbed simple leather boots. Tasteful belt straps scattered among the thick frame of the shoes accentuated the belt straps on my purse that were very similar in style, and could almost complement the other if the color weren't such off hues.

With a sigh, I exited the apartment building altogether, with the bag on my shoulder and the faint scent of citrus wafting in the surrounding air. A few rays of faint sunshine crept behind the horizon and into the darkened sky, slowly casting a bright peach color against the feathering clouds. My face filled with blank excitement as I made my way down the florescent streets occupied with a couple of commoners. For a brief moment, I smiled, knowing that these walkways, which were a little less than deserted, is as close to a peaceful stroll as I'm going to get. Therefore, I took this short-lived moment of stillness with utmost reverence, and forced the heels of my boots to come down gentler than normal to keep the amount of noise in the area to a minimum.

The extended period of serenity lasted longer than I predicted, and until the sun rose over the tall towers of Tokyo, the city remained in its hushed state.

Technically speaking, this was the first time I entered the café. The pale pink walls planted the small seeds of sweet cravings in my stomach, and since I skipped breakfast, I had to struggle to ignore the hoarse growls in frustration that my belly made. The base of my shoes clanked softly against the cool grey tiles as I headed towards the door specifically marked for, "employees only," and the gentle taps of my heels quickly transformed into loud, surprised shuffles as a pink-haired bullet tackled me the moment I came in.

Pale arms clasped around my neck, while chapped, cherry lips whispered in my ear a tired yet repetitive, "Thank you so much, Kagamine-san." She clung on me as if I was her savior, which I wasn't nor wanted to be. Trust me, filling in for a fellow colleague wasn't a big deal, which was why I took her reaction to my arrival with a grain of salt.

Starting with a mumble of confusion, I coldly grunted, "Uh, Megurine-san was it? Well I'm glad I could help but please, unravel your arms from my neck, it's beginning to ache." Waiting until her arms were inches away from my collar I readjusted the white ribbon, feeling for the knot and finding it towards my back. I shoved it towards my right and stared straight into the eyes of my coworker.

She smiled after brushing a few long strands of rosy hair out of her face and tucking it back into her up-do filled with neat braids of different sizes. Conscious of the difference of our appearances, I began to fumble with my own hair finding it pale in comparison to the sophisticated woman in front of me. A wave of trivial shock trailed down my body as I heard her soft, tender voice as opposed from the slightly annoying whispers of appreciation. "Ah yes, I'm Megurine Luka, and thank you Kagamine-san for filling in for me today. I had a last minute call from my other job and I can't ignore it, so again, thank you."

My eyes moved away from Luka's graceful figure and towards the empty metal tables, which should hold a cluster of colorful confections later in the day. "It's alright," I mumbled indifferently, beginning to lack my former passion. "I'll take care of the rest, so go on ahead—"

_"Erm, Hatsune-san…Isn't Megurine-san occupying your couch already?"_

"Wait." A firm voice overtook my usual mutter. Due to the surprising change in tone, Luka shifted her head towards me, a red satchel slung over her shoulder and her hand just shy from the door. "By any chance, do you know Hatsune Miku?"

With a nod, Luka smiled, showing off her sparkling white teeth. "Of course, she's an associate of mine. Is she a friend?"

"Yes, she's a childhood friend of mine. Does that mean you're a model as well?" I asked, failing to filter the faintly intimidating undertone.

Luka's brows raised in astonishment, clearly finding the tinge of menace in my voice and yet responded with an amused smirk as she spoke, "Yes, I work with Hatsune-san during my other work hours—which, isn't much—and am currently residing in her home, if you were interested." Her rosy smile widened, while her water-like eyes staring straight into mine. Amid a shiver, I realized this familiar feeling was similar to when I first encountered Gakupo. "So you must be Kagamine Rin-san, yes?"

My lips parted as a controlled jaw drop and I watched in bewilderment as Luka's arm smoothly brushed a small speck of dust off her shoulders. "How do you know my name?"

_Wait. _She _must've spread the word about me like Len did with Kaito-kun._

I sighed.

_I must be the only one who doesn't tell others about my friends._

"Erm, never mind, I can guess Hatsune-chan—ah—Miku told you." I stammered, temporarily remembering Miku chiding me when I'd call her, "Hatsune-chan."

Holding a loose fist to her grin, Luka chuckled softly, "Mm, Hatsune-san has told me much about you; your kind, shy side as well as your great amount of arrogance."

My brows furrowed, "Wait—"

Before I could finish, Luka quickly took a glance at her expensive-looking watch and gasped. "Oh shoot, I'm going to be late. It's been nice talking to you, Kagamine-san! See you!"

With an extended hand, I watched the double doors aimlessly swing as the sound of clamoring heels faded into the crowded streets. I grunted with disgust as I placed my purse on a gnarled bronze hook, and plummeted head first into the complex and cruel world of the serving occupation.

* * *

My first customer was a kind, levelheaded young man who seemed to be preparing for work. His casual chatter calmed my frayed nerves as I constantly refilled his never-ending streak of consuming coffee in its purest form: black. After a few topic changes, I realized that this refined man was a professor who was heading to the university as a volunteer to prepare the grounds, and decided to get a quick drink (or drink_s_) before doing so. He specialized in history—not my most favored subject but it was useful in many cases. I, however, live by the well-known statement, "It's not like you'll find, 'who did _ for _ in year _?' on a job applicant form."

He parted quietly, promising that he'll stop by later on in the year and would maybe even greet me in the halls of the university. I didn't catch his name and he didn't obtain mine, however his classy suit and tie wasn't just for show, and I strode towards the pale purple cashier counter with a more than acceptable tip in my fist.

_Thank you Sora for such a great experience, your kind and laid-back actions were very useful for this job. _

Very few clientele came through the cheerfully chiming entrance despite the large amount of activity behind the transparent glass door. Even the usual lunch rush seemed to die faster in the café.

Time sluggishly passed with taps of my drumming fingers and bored twirls of blond locks, the occasional passerby coming to look at the little pastries before making a quick order that required no serving.

With my head buried against the skin of my palm, a loud ring reverberated in the silent room causing my body to jolt up in surprise. Seeing the golden ponytail that I was quite overly familiar with pass under the bell held by the single red string, my lips pursed, the area where the bow was tied growing warmer as the seconds passed. My eyes locked on him, wondering as to why he stood so casually and completely unaware at the strange faces I made him while he gazed at the confections with feigned interest.

I caught every obsessive glance he took, shooting a look to me and then quickly averting back towards the small range of tarts behind the glass dome.

Before I could retort in any way, he beat me to the punch, "Hey, did you get a haircut?"

I blinked, a bit bewildered at his question yet I answered, "N-no, why do you ask?"

His glances came to a short halt and returned with a simple stare. "Eh? No way—you lie. Your hair was like—what, down to your hips? Right, you _totally _didn't get a haircut while I was gone." He rubbed his jaw in a gesture of deep thought. "Actually, you're voice is _a lot _higher than before…are you Ri—?"

_So he _did _recognize me. How unfortunate to find him in such an unintentional meeting place. _

"—rii?"

I blurted out an unprofessional, "Huh?"

"Wait, you're not Ririi? Oh crap." The blond boy seemed to be even more confused than I was.

With a crooked grin I responded, "Uh, no, I'm not." I tugged at the white bow fixed around my neck, releasing a bubble of heat trapped against my hot throat.

He spotted my embarrassed and uncoordinated motion and gasped the souvenir he had given me the day before found to be already in use. His relaxed and childish face dropped into one of surprise and shock. "_Rin-chan_?"

I freed a small chuckle lodged in my gullet. "Yeah, I'm not Ririi. Who's she, another friend of yours?"

"_Actually, _I'm the manager for _Café 15_, Ririi is just a Romanization of my name." Said a mature voice of a female that seemed to have came from the area directly behind me.

Without even glancing behind me, I immediately greeted the blonde woman with a respectful bow, knowing that she was the manager for the café, and the one who offered me the job to become a part-time waiter. Her golden nametag pinned to her white flannel shirt, which seemed to be the same shirt as I wore, gleamed at a level that matched my height, reflecting the light of the ascending sun into my eyes, it read, "Lily; Manager."

She spoke to me lightly, her light eyebrows rising in curiosity. "So, you know Len-kun?" An outline of a kind smile and twinkling blue eyes figuratively clutched my miserable start of the day and chucked it out the open windows. "He's a constant customer here at _Café 15, _it's really nice to see him every day, and he really likes to chat to the employees." Lily ruffled the top of Len's head, causing the bridge of his nose to flush with embarrassment as he pursed his lips in a tight line of humiliation. "Len-kun's such a sweetheart, doing all this for me even though he lives so far away!"

When hearing this great and convenient opportunity pop out from the midst of the afternoon breeze, my eyes jerked upwards towards Lily's proud stare and Len's gaze of defeat, locking my gaze onto his averted eyes. My eyes softened at Len's miserable face, knowing that the attached strings behind the curtain of his kind act were meant for his eyes only.

_What are you up to?_

I assumed my conclusion from yesterday was correct.

I began forming words but my voice lodged in my chest, making unable to speak when Lily continued, her arm tightly wrapped around Len's shoulders. "Oh, but you know, it's weird how he thought you we're me, I mean, we don't really look alike. And I'm sure that Len-kun would never forget a face, so…hm." She sounded lost.

Len struggled to force Lily's arm off his mouth and spoke with a disgruntled voice, "Well I haven't seen her for three years—even I have my limits."

I stopped my thinking process for a second, and practically divulged my hidden thoughts. "But you did see me yesterday, so recognizing me shouldn't have been a problem." I realized that what Len _didn't _want me to say aloud and what I just said seemed to be on the same terms, as whenever a word escaped my lips, Len's crushed expression deepened, bypassing his breaking point.

Len wore his grief alongside a melancholic smile, his eyes mocking as if telling me that he expected nothing more from me than this, and he sighed, almost in relief. I'll admit that it made me angry, but masking emotions was a skill where I excelled in and my face went slack however, I was a bit surprised to see Lily doing the same.

"Whoa, whoa, wait a moment." She said frantically waving her free hand. "You saw her _yesterday? _Did you get your head hit by a kamikaze bird? Is that why your memory sucks—?"

Her concerned yells were interrupted by Len's soft whispers, and it irritated me further when I couldn't make out the words. I almost blew my top when I saw Lily take a few sly, engrossed stares at me, making no effort to hide her attempts and chuckled, nudging Len in his side. It seemed we were both a bit annoyed that afternoon.

Their low voices, that were no doubt gossip-filled, ended when Lily droned a long, "Now I get it," extending the syllables to a point where it was almost upsetting. She turned back towards me and stated that it was, "No big deal," and that I should forget about it.

Of course, I didn't, it being in the back of my mind for the rest of the conversation. Because of this I couldn't really think much about the idle chat between Lily and Len, which was why I was quite surprised to find them exchanging number with me, and even more taken aback when I found myself going along. With my golden phone in my hand and I had froze in the middle of typing Len's phone number into my contacts, Lily's already submitted into the small number of friends.

Before I could ask anything, Len began with a flustered face, "Hey Rin-chan, you live pretty close by the University, right?" He asked, watching as my head bobbed softly. "Cool, so…uh…do you think I can…erm…stay at your apartment until the breaks? Uh—don't worry, I'll pay for my own meals and everything like that, but you know…I live a bit far from here so I might be late every time I get to school. I don't really want that so…yeah. I just need somewhere to stay, and since Kaito and Gakupo are already filling up a dorm I can't really go with them."

My reaction to this was only a couple of blinks until it all began to set in, and my face burned with heat. Len caught my drastic color change and went into a state close to panic. "Uh—no! I'm _not _gonna do _anything_ bad! I'm not that kind of guy—_I swear. _Please Rin-chan, I _really _need this, and I can just sleep on your couch or guest room—or even the floor. I'm not picky!"

Seeing him beg like this made me a bit uncomfortable, sad even. "A-Alright. Sure. Yeah, you can." I said uncertainly, just eager to see Len's face light up for once. However, my conscious seemed to dislike that kind action to a point where I can say that was the reason why I suddenly remembered the significant fact that I forgot earlier. "Wait. You live far from here?" I asked, partly faking confusion while the other half of me had realized this long ago. "I thought you said that you lived near me."

Lily muttered a couple of dramatic "ooh's" and "aah's" into Len's ear, her breath softly grazing against his stray hairs before quickly catching my eyes. With a peachy smile, she winked and returned to violently rubbing her head against Len's. "Wow, you even _lied? _Geez Len, what's wrong with you?"

"There is nothing wrong with driving a girl to her house. The distance between us doesn't matter when it comes to that, so _butt off._" Len grunted, shoving Lily's slim head and preventing her from knotting anymore of his messy crown.

"So you admit you lied." I bluntly stated, not trying to force myself to question him, as I already knew.

Len sulked, lowering his head, but it was only for a moment, and with a defeated smile he admitted to his sin. I'll admit that _sin _is a bit dramatic, but in this case, it worked.

I grinned back, reassuring that he was able to stay at my apartment, which was, coincidentally, made to be for two, and fortunately I had room for one more. He thanked me with multiple, overly polite bows, and caused Lily to practically roll over laughing. I returned the thanks with a smooth wave of my hands and jumped as the bell to the door rang, a couple of teenage girls entering and immediately sat at a pale blue table. I didn't even needed to escort them as Momo did, however I greeted them with a smile.

Lily swept her eyes over her customers with satisfaction and sent a brief adieu, leaving shortly after to revisit some papers in her office.

Len keenly watched as I served the girls with an unwavering grin, calmly and politely taking their orders. The loud tap of ceramic plates against the colorful acrylic tabletops mutedly echoed in the small café, the small yet eventful chat fading into the distance as I refilled their tea cups.

Occasionally I came back to check on the two girls, both claiming to have a good time although they noticed the handsome blond boy observing my actions in the background with a small smile. I simply told them that it was nothing interesting, and moved on to billing them.

As they began to leave I walked back behind the counter, yelling a, "Have a nice day!" And turned to find Len's head facing mine, his face unchanging. After a while his beaming expression began to irritate me, and I sharply asked, "What?"

"I've never seen you smile so naturally." He calmly spoke, causing my lips to tighten into an emotionless line.

"Yeah, well you're mistaken, it wasn't natural at all." I discarded his kind words with a snap, but was taken aback at his sudden topic change.

"The bow looks nice on you." His clear blue eyes curved against his smile, but before I could retort, Len lifted his arms from the counter and started to move towards the door. His hand was on the bar when he turned back. "So, I'll see you later at your house?"

I spoke reluctantly, "A-At room 607, I'll be there soon."

Len smiled, this smile a bit more pleasing then the rest. It was his signature cheeky smile, after all. "Gotcha! I'm gonna go get my things while you work. Bye!"

I returned the smile with a grin. "Yeah."

* * *

**15: Japanese word/number play for Ichi go/Ichigo/Strawberry**

_A/N Note that I'm also not a waiter, please don't criticize me for assuming! *hides in the corner*This was a fun chapter to write, and I've been listening to more songs made by Last Note since Gumi's voice is so distinct in their songs! They tune her so well that she's real, you can totally tell that they're the ones who are tuning her, and I'm rambling—/ /shot. (I meant to introduce Gumi into this chap…but I didn't) Anyways, the views have been rising! There hasn't been a day without a view, and I'm _so_ happy about that! Thank you everyone! :D_


	7. Odd

_A/N Hey! So usually I don't do notes in the beginning however this is a special note. I re-read the last chapter and thought that it was so confusing, my head was going to explode (thankfully, it didn't). So I had rewritten the whole bottom half adding more details and actions from where Rin met Luka and forward. If you are currently reading, please take the time to go back and re-read it (I added about 1,000 more words. Whoa). Sorry for the inconvenience, I was just rushing to post the last chap. for you guys and ended up writing badly, so I redid it. Thanks for your understanding!_

* * *

**Chapter 7: Odd**

* * *

My breath came out in ragged gasps at I rushed back to the apartments, the image of Len at the steps patiently waiting for me to unlock the doors of the room 607 flashing in my mind and encouraged me to hurry. Growls from my empty stomach slowed my already staggered pace, and skidding to halt, no doubt shaving off a good amount of my rubber soles, I looked up at an angry red light, shouldering my purse again and again.

I clenched my teeth, staring at the red light as if enough willpower and arrogance would change the glow to a fluorescent green, but I failed. I had realized that I told Len that I'd be there soon; however, I didn't know work would carry out to be that long!

The moment the illumination of the harsh hand transformed into the cheerful walking sign, I bolted, stepping across the cracked white stripes against the crosswalk and kept the quick tempo of jogging until I reached the parking lot of the building, encountering a few crosswalks on the way, but I'd bypass them without any falter in my steps. I guess that time I was just lucky with the green lights.

I leaned against my knees, taking hungry gulps of cool air at the base of the slightly weathered stairs. I spotted Len's vehicle, my heart beating frantically in my chest as I began to worry if Len had to wait long. To put it simply, I was a bit concerned about my etiquette, as it was rude to invite one and not show up at the correct time. Then again, Len insisted and begged to move in with me, so I can't say I invited him, but merely accepted him into my household.

While clambering up the stairs I began to become aware of the appearance of my small apartment. It wasn't anything big or roomy, just cozy and perfect for two. Everything was a bit plain with crème walls and cocoa couches and cabinets, anything wood really. There were plants placed here and there along with a couple of picture frames and ceramic pots to liven the place up, but all of it seemed like it came out of a magazine. Well-placed and elegant. Not really seeming like a place a college student would live at, but it was perfect for me. It made me anxious to think that Len might not enjoy being in such a boring place, with his outgoing personality and all, it probably wasn't his cup of tea. Heck, I didn't even know if he drank tea.

I was a bit out of breath by the time I reached the small dip in the flooring that helped me indicate my room, which was about five paces away. But I grew troubled the longer I was away from Len. I spotted his car earlier, so why haven't I seen him yet? It was quite odd to me until I turned the knob, trying to make sure that no one attempted or succeeded in breaking into my room, and was astonished to find it unlocked. At first I was startled, and afraid that someone stolen my things, but the deeper I went into my apartment, the stronger the smell of food became.

"Rin-chan! Welcome home!" Len's merry voice echoed in the small kitchen.

The sight of Len in one of my frilly pink aprons was quite hilarious, and I covered my amused smile with the back of my hand, shielding my expression a little too late. My worries of burglary dissipated when I saw Len's girly attire, he wore it as if he was used to it made me crack up even more. "You look…great." I gasped between small chuckles.

He gave me a lopsided smile and continued to stir whatever was in the large pot on the stove. "Yeah, yeah, well it was the only thing I could find. Oh, and did you know that you forgot to lock the door?"

I sighed, leaning against the doorway that led into the living room. "Mm, I assumed so after I walked in. I was expecting to find my place to be all messed up and my precious things stolen, not…this." I gestured back to Len's cute apron. I threw myself onto the couch, propping my legs onto the armrests with a deep sigh.

Len smirked, ladling the contents of the pot onto one of my transparent blue plates. "Long day?"

I grunted, "No, I'm a bit tired."

"Yeah? Well, here," He placed the dish onto the table, the bottom clattered harshly against the dark wood causing everything to jump. "You skipped lunch, so I made this," Len gestured to the curry messily spooned onto the white lumps of rice.

I stared at it blankly, a little honored and astounded that Len decided to cook for me; however, the appearance of the dish seemed a bit unappetizing. "It looks terrible." I said frankly yet vaguely exaggerating as I overturned a lump of cooked rice soaked in caramel-colored sauce.

Len wiped his hands, removed his ridiculous apron and moved to my side, sitting casually on the couch. I had a premonition that Len was already relatively comfortable with my apartment, and had seemed to consider it home even though he entered it a while ago. He took a glance at the untouched plate and frowned. "Hey, I worked hard on that. _Eat it._"

"_Make me._" I challenged him with a daring glare.

Len sighed, his shoulders dramatically rising up and down as he positioned himself, turning his torso towards mine and grabbing the plate in one hand. "Alright."

_What?_

I gave him a strange look, mentally telling him that he was _crazy. _

He replied smoothly, "Well, you told me to make you."

My eyebrows shot up, incapable of taking him seriously even though I figured that he'd do it. No, it was as if I _couldn't _take him seriously. I just couldn't force myself to, and it bothered me but I managed to brush the strange feeling off as Len began scooping stable piles of rice and curry and leveling it with my lips, his hand hovering below the shining utensil to catch any crumbs.

"Hurry or else it'll fall." He cooed, not doing a very good job reassuring me that his cooking was _safe _in any way possible.

I pressed my lips together, unable to open as it was embarrassing enough to see Len in a pink apron, but now he was feeding me like a child. I looked away from the glistening spoon inches away from my mouth and caught the sight of Len's pink face, a little pleased to see him as physically flustered as I was emotionally. It proved that I was a tad better at hiding my emotions.

My mouth began to open, annoyed enough to attempt to get over with this farce as fast as possible, yet it was if I was a fish, parting my lips but quickly shutting them as fast as I had opened. I was too reluctant to let Len feed me, and it embarrassed me as well.

When I finally kept my mouth open for a decent amount of time, the heat emitting off Len's cooking startled me so much that I jerked my head back, holding my hands against my lips and staring at the spoon in shock.

Len flinched, a few grains of rice tipping into his palm, and he quickly ate it up before turning back to me, eyes filled with concern. "You okay? Did I burn you?"

I shook my head, fingers still on my warm lips as if they'd protect my rose-stained flesh from the intense heat. "No, I was just startled. Can you blow on it?" It dawned on me that I could've cooled the curry myself but Len already commenced to blow, his puffed up cheeks sending gusts of air that wavered the white trails of steam rising from the rice.

"Here," He raised the food back to my mouth and I took it in gratefully, the renewed feeling of awkwardness fluttering in my chest when I finally realized that he actually was going to hand feed me, so I at least had to try his cooking. And I had to admit, the moment the curry merely grazed my taste buds and the rich flavor of the curry beautifully bloomed and flowered until my whole body was embraced in a sort of homey feeling, I began to recognize that Len did an excellent job making this simple dish. I've never tasted such great tasting curry even in a restaurant, but maybe I was just biased.

"Wow," I mumbled sounding as if I was in a trance. I was still chewing; a hand blocked my lips to prevent any form of discourtesy when eating with my mouth open. "This is delicious."

Len's face broke out into a large smile and I stared up at him with faint awe. It was as if a cloud had finished passing over the sun, the bright rays of light filtering through the cracks of the clouds and then finally being able to break through, its glow shone a dazzling yellow, setting the room ablaze with intense radiance. "Right? I _told you, _I worked hard on this. It should be."

He began to scoop another spoonful of the curry but I stopped him, lightly touching his hand with mine. "I can eat, I'm not a kid."

Len's sweet grin remained on his face. "Yeah? But isn't it more fun this way?"

I was left without a way to bite back (no pun intended), and dejectedly ate the small portions after taking precautions and making sure Len had blown the spoon at least twice, as I didn't want to burn my lips. This went on for a few minutes in silence that was surprisingly at ease, and as the dish emptied till its last scraps of rice and meat my belly ceased to groan. At last, I again sprawled over the couch, kicking my feet back onto the armrest as Len offered to wash the single blue dish, and since doing that simple task didn't require much work, I allowed him.

"Better?" Len asked, placing the plate into the dish rack with a loud rattle.

I mumbled under my breath an agreement with incomprehensible words, but it seemed that Len didn't need to hear what I said to understand. As he padded back to the couch, I turned my head towards him with bright, curious eyes. "Where did you learn how to cook like that?" I asked as Len quietly sat at the other end of the couch, next to my head.

For a moment I had thought that a painful expression flashed across Len's face, his lips twitching as if hesitant to speaking, however this all disappeared to be replaced with a wry smile. Searching deep into his eyes, I realized that his sudden mood swing was not a ruse my mind had cruelly tricked me into believing. No, because the immense sadness clouding Len's cerulean eyes were true, even if his smile says otherwise.

"Ah, my mom taught me this recipe a long time ago." Len said, his face revealing an unnatural smile alongside his forced positivity. I caught grief seeping into his tone, but didn't think much of it except how I wanted to wipe this depression off his face. Maybe he was just a bit homesick.

Attempting to relieve him of his illness, I stood up. "Well, how about we sleep early?" I nodded at my own offer. "Yeah, I'm tired and you do not seem very high in spirits. Maybe a bit of shut eye will get us going for tomorrow?"

Len paused before showing his reassuring smile. Although it was only a few minutes, I missed that smile.

"Alright."

* * *

I quickly smoothed the pale sheets that lay on Len's bed. I've had this apartment for about a year and yet, this was the first time someone would use this room. It was a replica of my own room, closets, lamp and furniture all the same; however, the large window that led into the balcony was missing and replaced with a plain wall coated with eggshell streaks of paint and a small painting centered. As my apartment room was on the top floor, there was a small square skylight on the ceiling, which was another example as to why Len's and my room were slightly different.

He stretched out onto the spread with a sigh, and to my irritation, re-ruffled the sheets. Len turned his head towards me, half of his face buried into the plush pillow but the grin on his face remained visible. "Thanks, Rin-chan."

I stood under the doorway, one hand on the frame with the other hugging my waist, his large luggage at my feet. I gave him a weak smile in return. "No problem. Just finish your nightly routine first." I dragged his yellow bag deeper into his room and he moved to receive it with jerky motions. It was only about 19:00, but it looked like both of us needed some rest.

"Got it." Len grunted as he dug though the pockets of his case, searching for his toothbrush.

Before leaving his room, I turned back. "Do you know where the bathroom is?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Len said without lifting his head. "Found it!" He held up a small transparent bag filled with items required for teeth care.

The corners of my mouth lifted in a small smile as I mentally smirked, 'Of course,' when seeing that they were all in a differing shade of yellow.

"Night." I left his room and moved into the bathroom, figuring that it might be a bit crowded if both Len and I were in the restroom together and tried to finish my routine as fast as possible. I managed to finish as Len entered, and I left quickly, squeaking an awkward, "Have a nice sleep." Moving into my room, I sat on my bed, watching the noisy cars bustle around the streets, streaks of yellow red and blobs of green brightening the seemingly dark roads. Other fluorescent colors flashed amusingly on electronic ad boards. The honk of a train rang in the distance.

I stared in astonishment, really wondering if I could sleep through all this. I shifted against the bed, it making a slow growling sound, almost resembling a toad's deep and throaty croak. With another creak, I pushed myself off the mattress and headed to my closet, plucking comfortable sleepwear that probably would've been mistaken for any daily outfit, or at least in my case.

I stripped off my skirt and replaced them with somewhat baggy maroon shorts, its purpose actually for running yet comfortable enough to call them nightclothes. Unbuttoning my white flannel shirt, I began to slip my arms out of the sheer sleeves and remained in my undershirt, not bothering to change it until realizing that my light jog back to the apartment allowed me to sweat quite a bit. That thought disgusted me, and so I resumed changing into an orange t-shirt adorned with yellow silk bows.

The sun set slower than usual yet time seemed to have passed hastily this day, and now, I felt like I only woken up a couple of hours ago. Running into Len was a surprise, and now he lived, temporarily, with me until spring break where he'll return to his own home. Of course, I allowed him to come back after each break ends so tardiness won't constantly stamp his attendance. I shut my eyes, waiting for sleep to take hold of me.

I assume that this school year is going to be quite interesting.

* * *

_A/N *Boop*Thanks so much for reading _Cerulean!_ :D_


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